November 1, 2011 All Saints Day

All Saint's Day has always been a Holy Day of Obligation, and I'm glad to have grown up with the awareness of the connection to all living and dead, but this is a whole different plane of awareness. For three whole days, October 31, November 1 and 2, the thoughts and lives of the living revolve around remembering and spending time all together with loved ones who are gone to a different realm. For our household this was an especially big day because we've had a death within the past year, so our celebration would be longer and more involved.
Early morning:In the early morning vases of flowers were prepared for all the closest deceased relatives. We also had purchased bouquets.
Mid morning: We walked, carrying about 8 flower arrangements, to the old cemetary. It is like a tight, little winding village of tiny houses for the dead. We spent about 15 minutes at each of our sites, carefully arranging flowers and candles. We would all join in prayers and then pack up the remaining vases and proceed to the next site. We even visited Ate Norma's boss (the Mayor, a good man by all counts).There were hundreds of men, women and children performing these hushed, gentle, ancient rituals. Slowly and peacefully walking among each other. It felt as if we were all just visiting on, say, Christmas rounds, and it just so happened that some were asleep throughout the visit. But the visiting was still so pleasant and you had a real sense of the life of the person you were visiting.

It reminds me of when my son, Carmen(4), cried when we packed up the gardening tools at Grandpa Carmen's grave and prepared to leave. Carmen had thought we were going to dig Grandpa up and visit with him. Little Carmen would have liked this day of all of us being with his Grandpa. (Just for the record: no digging up took place here.)

Maricar, who lost her husband May 29 this year, her niece, Gia; her mother, (my Ate Norma"), and her daughters, Marjery and AJ (April Joy).

 Three days of traffic jams and tricyles lined up, heading to and from the cemetaries, all over the Philippines. I was stuck in traffic for  1 1/2 hours on Oct 31.  
Late morning: After the oldsters were visited, we went back home, loaded up again and headed to the newer cementary, where the most recent interment is. This event reminded me of a day at the Wattsburg Fair when I was growing up. Great food is packed, cold drinks, a tent, maybe a few games or toys and umbrellas. But instead of seeing the horse-pulling contest, we were there to just BE. Our relatives came from Manila for the holidays. You see the cards they are playing? Those are cards I asked Rachelle to send in a care package(from MN). So there you see the cards which Rachelle handled and sent around the world and are now being touched by hands here on this unique holiday.

 Maricar sitting with her husband for a few quiet minutes as the day is ending.

Last good-byes as families start to pack up and leave. We left at 8:00pm. I rode my new PC bike home and the rest of the family loaded kit and kaboodle into 2 trikes. This day will linger with me for a long time... no... forever.      Family life here has drawn more and more of a longing, from me,  to be with my family upon my return. Now I want to spend more time visiting the graves of those who will always be so much a part of my life- of our lives.

ps. Consider this, though. A big All Saint's Day, 2011 at Trinity Cemetary, Erie, PA. Big snowstorm!  Mmmm. Huddled in ice huts with propane heaters hissing. Would it be the same?


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I just tacked these on belatedly because they are so beautiful and interesting. Amy's town of Ibaan, Batangas.

 

These are called apartments, for obvious reasons.

Below- One of the ritzy family memorials. I didn't see such elaborate vaults in San Jose. Amy saw some that had air conditioning and a balcony on top. It kind of reminds me of the burials of ancient Egypt- prepared to party in the afterlife!